


Home Remedy

by StBridget



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Pre-Slash, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 15:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13413861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StBridget/pseuds/StBridget
Summary: Mac's got a cold.  Of course, he has a complicated contraption for that, but Jack has something better--and not just medicine.





	Home Remedy

**Author's Note:**

> MacGyver is property of CBS and its creators.
> 
> Boozey_the_Ghost asked for a sick Mac fic, so here you go! Threw in a little romance for good measure, since this is me. ;)

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” Jack Dalton demanded of his partner Angus “Mac” MacGyver as the older man barged into Mac’s house.  Mac was standing at the kitchen counter dressed only in sleep pants and a sweatshirt, blanket draped around him, fiddling with something Jack swore was the beginnings of a homemade still.  He looked adorable, and part of Jack just wanted to wrap him up and cuddle him, but the soldier was too mad to pay much attention to that, and he wasn’t going to admit it anyway.  Jack should have known when he came to check on his sick partner he’d find the kid puttering with something instead of resting like he should be.

Mac tried to take a breath, but only a honking sound came out. His voice was muddled as he tried to speak around the congestion.  “I’m making a homemade distiller,” he said, confirming Jack’s suspicions.

“What for?  Are you planning to make moonshine?”

“No,” Mac said with another honking breath.  “I want to make rosemary oil to help with the congestion.”

Jack moved to take the pieces from his partner.  “Okay, first of all, there’s much easier ways to do that, and second, you should be in bed.”

Mac looked at Jack with bleary eyes, and once again Jack was struck with the urge to draw the younger man in his arms and chase all the demons—or in this case, germs—away.  Once again, he ignored it.  “Like what?”

“Like a pot of boiling water with rosemary in it,” Jack said, gathering the needed items as he spoke.

Mac’s face fell.  “I didn’t think of that.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jack said, but his voice was fond.  “Leave it to you to come up with the most complicated method possible and build it yourself.”  He set the pot on the stove and made a shooing motion at Mac.  “Go back to bed.”

“Don’t need to,” Mac said, the ghastly noise still coming out of him with every breath.  “I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh,” Jack said, dubiously.  “That’s why you sound like a dying elephant and can barely stand on your own two feet.”  It was true—Mac was swaying slightly and looked like he was going to fall over any minute.  Jack resisted the urge to scoop his partner into his arms and carry him off to bed.  A traitorous part of his brain wished it was for some other reason than to tuck Mac in to sleep off a cold.  There was no way Jack was ever going to let Mac know that, though.  “At least go sit on the couch while this heats.”

Mac tried to let out a put-upon sigh, but was hindered by his difficulty breathing.  “Fine.”  He turned and headed towards the living room but tripped over the trailing edge of the blanket.

Jack hastened to his side, catching Mac before he fell and wrapping an arm around the younger man’s waist, draping one of Mac’s arms across his shoulders.  “Easy there.”  Jack guided his partner to the couch and helped him sit down.  “There.  Can I get you anything?  Water, remote, pillow?”

“My tablet?”  Mac turned big blue eyes on Jack, and Jack nearly melted.  How could he resist when his partner looked like that?

Jack fetched the requested item and grabbed a pillow for good measure.  He handed Mac the tablet and fluffed the pillow, wedging it into the corner of the couch.  Mac snuggled down so his head was resting against it.

“Comfy?” Jack asked.

Mac nodded.  “Maybe I’ll close my eyes, just for a minute.”

“You do that.”  Jack went to check on the water while Mac settled down.  The older man waited for Mac’s breathing to even out, signaling he was asleep, but all he could hear was wheezing.  It worried Jack.  Once the rosemary-infused water was boiling, Jack carried it into the living room.  Mac’s eyes were closed, but he was shifting restlessly, still making those awful noises.  Jack nudged him.  “Wake up, Mac.”

Mac struggled to a sitting position and blinked at Jack.  “Huh?”

Jack thrust the pot into Mac’s hand.  “Breathe this.  It’ll make you feel better.”

Mac took as deep a breath as he could.  “Where’d you learn this?”

“My mom was into home remedies,” Jack replied.  He kept his eyes trained on Mac as Mac struggled to get air into his lungs.  “Have you taken anything for that?”

Mac shook his head.  “You know medicine makes me dopey.”

“Yeah, I know, but I worry about you, kid,” Jack said.

“I know,” Mac said, “and I appreciate it, I really do, but you don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do.  It’s my job,” Jack said.  It was more than that, but Jack wasn’t going to say so.

“Your job is to have my back on the field,” Mac said.  “You don’t have to do it off the clock.”

“Of course I do.”  Jack threw an arm across Mac’s shoulders.  “You’re my friend.  That’s what friends do.”  He didn’t mention that he wanted to be so much more than friends.  He knew Mac didn’t feel that way.

“Well, thanks,” Mac said. 

“Any time,” Jack replied.  They stayed silent a few minutes, Jack’s arm still around Mac’s shoulders.  The soldier was hoping Mac wouldn’t notice it was too long to be strictly friendly.  After awhile, the honking subsided, and Mac seemed to be breathing easier.  “Better?”

Mac nodded.  “Yeah, thanks.”

“I knew it would work,” Jack crowed, pleased to get one over on the genius for once.  The solider noticed Mac’s eyelids were drooping.  “C’mon, let’s get you into bed.”

“I’m fine,” Mac protested, but Jack wasn’t having it.

“No, you’re not.”  The older man helped Mac to his feet and once again wrapped an arm around him.  Together, they made their way to the bedroom.  Despite his protests, Mac flopped back on the bed with a sigh.  Jack helped him under the covers and tucked them around his partner.  He wanted to kiss Mac on the forehead, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep from getting carried away, so he stroked the blond head instead.  “Get some rest.”

Jack turned to go, but Mac stopped him, reaching out a flailing hand to catch Jack’s arm.  “Stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jack said.  “I’m just going to be in the living room.”

“No, stay here,” Mac said, patting the bed next to him.

Jack’s heart leaped, though he knew it was a bad idea.  That close to Mac, the soldier didn’t know what he might do, and he didn’t trust himself to behave; Mac was just too tempting.  Still, Mac’s gaze was pleading, and Jack gave in.  He climbed onto the bed next to Mac, sticking a pillow behind his back and resting up against the headboard.  He sat there awkwardly, unsure what to do, until Mac ducked under his arm and snuggled up against Jack’s chest, drawing the arm tightly around him.

Jack froze.  That was unexpected.  What was he supposed to do now?  “Comfy?” he asked.

Mac nodded and closed his eyes, showing no inclination to move anytime soon.  “Mm-hmm.”

“Okay, then,” Jack said, still at a loss.  “You just get some rest, and I’ll read or something.”  He reached for Mac’s discarded tablet.  “Got any good action books on here?”

Mac shook his head.  “Uh-uh, but you can get some.”

“That’s a plan, then.”  Not exactly what Jack had in mind when he came to check on Mac, but here he was, the man he loved pressed tight against him, so he wasn’t going to argue.  Not that the kid meant it like that.

Mac shifted so he could press his lips gently against Jack’s neck.  “Night, Jack.  Love you.”

Jack gave in and kissed the top of Mac’s head.  “Love you, too,” he said, meaning it from the bottom of his heart.

Maybe Mac did, too.


End file.
